FINISH THAT THOUGHT #39

We're back! Welcome to April! I hope you had a spectacular week! Spring is in the air and we may - please, please, please! - be finished with the long, cold winter weather. I have dreams of sitting outside to write rather than in my office... Soon! :) I hope everyone gets to enjoy warmer weather finally. Okay, enough rambling. Go write! I wanna know what's falling from the sky! :)



If you need to read the full version of the rules, go here. Otherwise, here's the short version:

Rules:
1. Up to 500 words
2. Keep it clean (nothing rated R or above)
3. Start with the given first sentence.
4. Optional Special Challenge
5. Include Twitter/email, word count, Special Challenge accepted
6. The challenge is open for 24 hours on Tuesday EST



Oh, and feel free to change pronouns, punctuation, tense, and anything in brackets to fit the story/pov/tone. I'm not going to be TOO picky... Our judge however...

Our Judge today is Rebekah Postupak also known as @postupak and @FlashFridayFic. Check out her blog here. Read her winning tale from last week here!



 Your first sentence for FINISH THAT THOUGHT #39 is:


It wasn't the first time [she] had seen [fire] fall from the sky.



 Your SPECIAL CHALLENGE from the judge is:


Include a really spectacular twist at the end.


 AAAAAAAND WE'RE OFF!!!

Illusion

This is my entry to Rebekah Postupak's Flash Friday! The challenge is a 140-160 word story created from a word prompt (today's was Space Travel) and this picture:




I also had a secret challenge to put in unicorns (for reasons I'm not going to disclose at this time because it would take too long to explain). It was tricky (unicorns, space, and bicycles???), and probably not my best story (I needed a little more time and a lot more words to make it kick), but I had fun writing it. Hopefully you'll have fun reading it!


Illusion

We waited with bated breath as Gwyllian approached, willing his power to hold the illusion for a little longer. He’d come the farthest and must be low on reserves.

The humans would build a road above our heartstone. How could they not feel the magic pulsing beneath their feet? Gwyllian wobbled – or the human riding a bike he was pretending to be did – and I shivered in fear. If he fell… No. He could make it another twenty feet.

Gwyllian made it under cover and dropped his illusion. His sides heaved. His mouth frothed. His withers twitched uncontrollably. His horn gleamed bright in the shade of the tunnel.

He drank from our bucket of water then spoke, “We haven’t much time. We mustn’t wait,” he said. We joined our horns together and connected to the heartstone.

Dematerialization. Rematerialization.

Our ship – in geosynchronous orbit over the dark side of the moon – stood ready. The counsel needed to hear our report.

 

 

 

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #38 - RESULTS!

WooHoo! That was crazy fun! If you missed any of the entries, go check them out here. If you want to read the judges take on his own prompt, go check it out here. If you want to know what the judge had to say about the entries....well then, read on!

 

We had four hearty souls this week who took up the challenge of writing a story with a strange first sentence. Since the prompt broke the rules (in countless ways), I’m going to judge all stories equally.

I had a lot of fun reading your stories this week. I deliberately picked a prompt outside the box, because I wanted to see if anyone could let go of the rules they write by. I have been very happy, and surprised, with the results. And speaking of the results. Here goes.

@CharlesWShort - A marvelous little tale of self forgiveness, and God waiting on his children as they learn to forgive themselves, and accept the events they’ve experienced.

@CaitlinStatus - A mysterious tale indeed. I have yet to come to terms with it, which is not to say it isn’t good, for I found it an entertaining, fast paced read. One that leaves me with plenty of questions. Are we dealing with clones? Animals? Or insane humans? Or some combination thereof? I can’t tell.

@stellakateT - Ah. The games the heart plays with the souls of men. The one he wants being right there, and him lacking the nerve to ask. What are you afraid of indeed.

@postupak - How do people cope with the death of an infant, born or unborn? How long does it take to admit your soul cries tears, and your heart aches? A sterling work of art.

Unfortunately, I have to pick a winner, and a special challenge champion. Wish I could instead hand out badges of courage and imagination to all four of you. You all took a shot at writing a story from a prompt that throws reality out the window. And you all four did well.

Special Challenge Champion - @stellakateT - Hope always springs eternal in the spring, doesn’t it?

Grand Champion - @postupak - As I said. A work of art.

And next week, I’ll be letting my imagination place words on paper.

Great little stories, all of you.

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #38

You are SO lucky.... I almost didn't get this posted! Phew! Glad we dodged that bullet. So I have nothing exciting or interesting or witty to say... Not that I do that on normal weeks, but I have an excuse this time. ;)  Today's sentence is so very random (Thanks, Mark!) that I am fascinated to read what you all come up with. So enough with the rambling; Get writing! :)



If you need to read the full version of the rules, go here. Otherwise, here's the short version:

Rules:
1. Up to 500 words
2. Keep it clean (nothing rated R or above)
3. Start with the given first sentence.
4. Optional Special Challenge
5. Include Twitter/email, word count, Special Challenge accepted
6. The challenge is open for 24 hours on Tuesday EST



Oh, and feel free to change pronouns, punctuation, tense, and anything in brackets to fit the story/pov/tone. I'm not going to be TOO picky... Our judge however...

Our Judge today is Mark Ethridge also known as @LurchMunster. Check out his blog here. Read his winning tale from last week here!



 Your first sentence for FINISH THAT THOUGHT #38 is:


Chickens have lips.



 Your SPECIAL CHALLENGE from the judge is:


The spring equinox.


 AAAAAAAND WE'RE OFF!!!

The Watcher

I finally managed to write a story for Flash Friday! It's been a while. We get 150 words (give or take 10) and two prompts. The first is to include a detective in the story. The second is this picture:



My story ended up at 155 words. I hope you enjoy! :)

The Watcher

 

She would get on the bus shortly. I stretched my legs out and waited.

Vinnie drove me all the way to Stratford so I could be on before her.

I put my feet up and leaned back into my seat, feigning nonchalance as the bus pulled to a stop.

She entered amidst a large group – business people, young mothers, students – and glanced around the bus before sitting a couple rows ahead of me on the opposite side. She pulled out a book and put her back to the window, seemingly unaware of anything else.

Her bodyguard sat in the seat across from her.

One stop.

Two stops.

Three stops.

The drop needed to be made today.

I stood, heels clicking on the metal floor. I picked up my bag and hurried down the steps and out the door.

I didn’t have to turn around to know she was following me.

Stupid detective. I’m the decoy.

 

 

 

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #37 - RESULTS!

WOOHOO! What fun we had in the basements ...er...um...well... fun may not be the best word... Certainly the characters in the stories didn't have any fun! But it sure was fun reading about them! :) Great job, everyone! If you missed any of them, go check them out here. Otherwise, let's read what the judge had to say:

@Michael Simko: I love the repetition of the first line throughout! It’s very ominous, and really builds the tension. I could really feel the chill in the air of the hippie girl’s house - a character I love, by the way. Her inability to keep her own legends straight made me giggle. Though I have to wonder at her motivations. Why did she let him go down to the basement? Hippies. They’re inscrutable.

@emilykarn: I laughed out loud when I realized which urban legend you had chosen! I honestly wasn’t expecting anyone to go that direction with the challenge. Your description of the basement really painted a picture in my mind, particularly the line ‘Filth dripped from a gaping metal tunnel behind the wall, plopping into the water.’ Ew. I don’t envy Sherillynn that mess!

@LurchMunster: Why must these people always do exactly what they’ve been warned not to do? I love the character you’ve created - foolhardy and confident without reason. Your last line makes me wonder how long they’ve been stuck in the ‘basement’. Will they eventually starve, or does this other universe operate under different rules? Was Diana somehow involved in getting them trapped there, or are they hallucinating her voice? You’ve really drawn me into this mystery!

@CaitlinStatus: Darn stupid teenagers! They just had to see the haunted house… I enjoyed the interaction between Chelsea and Jerry. Especially ‘Jerry flicked the light switch on at the bottom of the stairs. Nothing happened. He flicked the switch a few more times before he said, “Light doesn’t work.” Chelsea rolled her eyes and stepped off the final step behind Jerry.’ He’s so blase, and she’s quickly growing tired of it. (Good thing he dies first?) That last line - augh! It sent shivers down my spine.

@JM MacF: I made the mistake of reading this story in the middle of the night. Absolutely terrifying. I really felt for your character. Her terror seems ridiculously exaggerated until you reach the end of the story, and then her fear becomes much more understandable. Being threatened by an evil spirit is bound to leave an impression on a little girl! Making the note rhyme was a nice touch, as well. Extra creepy!

 

 

 

Special Challenge Winner: emilykarn

 

 

 

Grand Champion: LurchMunster

 

 

 

FINISH THAT THOUGHT #37

YOU SURVIVED THE IDES OF MARCH!!! AND St. Patrick's Day! Phew! I was worried. This is one of those tricky months. :) Well, let's start afresh as spring is right around the corner (...yes it is...don't argue...seriously...warm weather...or, you know, rain and stuff...). Let's begin to shake off the last of our wintery cobwebs and charge headlong into...the basement... Um...well...just go write. ;) (Wow, I have a lot of ellipses in this one...and for me to notice means it's probably too many...Oh well! :) )



If you need to read the full version of the rules, go here. Otherwise, here's the short version:

Rules:
1. Up to 500 words
2. Keep it clean (nothing rated R or above)
3. Start with the given first sentence.
4. Optional Special Challenge
5. Include Twitter/email, word count, Special Challenge accepted
6. The challenge is open for 24 hours on Tuesday EST



Oh, and feel free to change pronouns, punctuation, tense, and anything in brackets to fit the story/pov/tone. I'm not going to be TOO picky... Our judge however...


Our Judge today is Samantha James. Read her winning tale from last week here!



 Your first sentence for FINISH THAT THOUGHT #37 is:


[She] knew [she] shouldn't have opened the basement door.



 Your SPECIAL CHALLENGE from the judge is:


Include an urban legend.


 AAAAAAAND WE'RE OFF!!!